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Inspired by the works of Arthur C. Clarke, J.G. Ballard and Philip K. Dick, Infinite Summer sees Michael Lovett’s NZCA Lines “marry sci-fi futurism to personal intimacies” to produce what must surely be one of the funkiest apocalyptic concept albums of all time. Indeed, also featuring former Ash guitarist Charlotte Hatherley and drummer Sarah Jones (Hot Chip, New Young Pony Club), the follow-up to 2012’s self-titled debut may center on […]

Named after a term used for trained assassins he heard in a documentary on espionage, Skilled Mechanics sees trip-hop trailblazer Tricky assemble his own killer team for the most collaborative studio effort of his lengthy career. Some of those on board are no stranger to the world of Adrian Thaws, including regular vocalist Francesca Belmonte who lends her sultry tones to the eerie synth-balladry of “We Begin,” drummer Luke Harris […]

As you’d expect from a founding member of studious classical-electro outfit Clean Bandit, British-Ugandan vocalist/rapper Love Ssega certainly isn’t short on brainpower. Born and raised in South London, the 24-year-old graduated from Cambridge University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, then made the brave decision to quit the aforementioned Grammy winners to finish his Ph.D. in laser sensing. Love Ssega (real name Ssegawa-Ssekintu Kiwanuka) is just as cultured as he […]

Judging by all the pre-release talk of shunning EDM, steering dance music back into a proper direction and making a piece of art, you’d expect Steve Angello’s second solo LP, Wild Youth, to be something of a game-changer. So it’s slightly baffling to hear that the Stockholm DJ has delivered the kind of unadventurous, generic and largely forgettable record he appears to be rallying against. Indeed, featuring guest appearances from […]

David Bowie, arguably one of the most influential figures in modern music for the past 40-plus years, died on Sunday, Jan. 10 after a battle with cancer. He was 69. While previous rumors of his death in years past were greatly exaggerated, the news has been confirmed by Bowie’s representatives and his son Duncan Jones (via Twitter). The following statement appears on Bowie’s official Facebook page: “David Bowie died peacefully […]

So after crowning Jamie xx’s “Loud Places” and Bob Moses’ Days Gone By as the greatest single and album of 2015 respectively, we now switch our attention to what we can expect to hear over the next twelve months in the world of dance/electronica. The first big album out of the blocks this year is Moth (Jan 22), the third album from alt-pop duo Chairlift, which judging by its first […]

Introducing: AlunaGeorge

If Timbaland would stop wasting his production talents on AutoTuned dance-pop and get back to the slinky futuristic R&B he perfected with Aaliyah, it’s pretty likely that the result wouldn’t be that far removed from the sound of AlunaGeorge.

Emerging from the same burgeoning pitch-shifted electro-soul scene as the likes of Purity Ring and Holy Other, the London-based duo are widely regarded as the act most likely to break through to the mainstream, largely thanks to the presence of Aluna Francis, a half-Indian, half-Jamaican former art student whose slinky feline vocals hark back to the late 90s heyday of All Saints’ Shaznay Lewis and Sneaker Pimps’ Kelli Ali.

Originally a member of experimental electronic collective My Toys Like Me, Francis hooked up with George Reid, formerly the guitarist in math-rock outfit Colour, after he remixed one of the group’s tracks, “Sweetheart.” Sharing a love of old-school R&B, Radiohead and the sparse hip-hop of The Neptunes, the pair began crafting their seductive glitchy sound in 2010, eventually landing a support slot with Cocknbullkid, a performance at the Isle of Wight Festival and appearances on the soundtracks for both the UK and US version of Skins.

From the title track’s bewitching fusion of elasticated bass-lines, ghostly vocal loops and sugary sweet melodies, to the lo-fi melancholic dub-pop of “Put Up Your Hands,” if AlunaGeorge can fulfil the potential of their recent You Know You Like It E.P., their as-yet-untitled debut, scheduled for release in early 2013, could be one of the most exciting records to emerge from London’s current underground.

Unafraid to play around with silence, the twinkling electro of early track “Watching Over You” is so minimalistic that there’s hardly anything there; likewise with the chopped-up post-garage of “We Are Chosen.” But the duo are also capable of producing the odd massive hook too, whether it’s the gorgeous aquatic future-pop of “Your Drums, Your Love” or the warped house of “Analyser.” Meanwhile, “After Light,” Francis’ recent collaboration with maximalistic maestro Rustie, proves her kittenish vocals are also capable of withstanding more bass-heavy fare.

With the likes of Cassie, Ciara and Ashanti currently missing in action, AlunaGeorge are fast positioning themselves as Aaliyah’s natural successors.

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About the Author

Jon O'Brien's love of music began as a six-year-old after becoming bizarrely transfixed with the 80s poodle rock of Heart, Europe and Def Leppard. Switching his attention to pop icon Michael Jackson, he then became addicted to the UK Top 40, becoming a rather pointless walking Wikipedia of chart positions in the process. Driving his poor neighbors up the wall while learning to play the drums as a teen, he toyed with the idea of becoming a musician, but in studying Journalism at the University of Central Lancashire, he realized heÕd rather write about music than perform it. Since then, he's written thousands of reviews and biographies on everything from bubblegum pop to death metal, but electronica remains his main passion, with everything from Aphex Twin to Zero 7 in his spare room-consuming record collection. Jon resides in northwest England near Liverpool.